The Border Between the U.S. and Canada Is Easy to Spot

When it comes to the border between Canada and the United States, the line you see on maps is anything but imaginary.

Getty Images/iStockphoto

Getty Images/iStockphoto

Stretching 5,525 miles—the longest land border in the world—“The Slash” breaks the U.S. and Canada into two separate regions, forming a tree-less divide.

U.S. taxpayers are paying to keep this area clear, according to Atlas Obscura. The average American pays around half a cent to the International Boundary Commission (IBC) for deforesting the entire boundary. That task costs the IBC around $1,400,000 annually. Every six years, the budget is used to cut down new growth in the border area.

Carolyn Cuskey via Flickr CC BY 2.0

The width of the border is about 20 feet. The Slash is mostly located in incredibly remote areas, but still manages to attract adventurous hikers and backpackers looking to mark something off of their bucket lists.